"Rumor often reported as fact in aftermath of Katrina" - Biloxi Sun Herald

Biloxi Sun Herald: Rumor often reported as fact in aftermath of Katrina

"The bigger and more diffuse the disaster, the more the gatekeeping function of the media fails in the rush to get the story out," said Henry W. Fischer III, director of the Center for Disaster Research and Education at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. The French paper Liberation ran a detailed report on 1,200 people drowning inside a school on Read Boulevard. Not true. Evacuees railed on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" about dead bodies and gang rapes. The accounts were false. . . . So where did the stories come from? "If you think about the conditions the victims of Katrina endured ... the stress and fear must have been unimaginable," David Emery, an expert on urban legends and folklore for the Web site About.com, said in an e-mail interview. "When real news isn't available, rumors percolate to fill the gap. ... People start conjecturing." Officials repeated the rumors.

"Papers seek access to FEMA files" - Clarion-Ledger

As this summer's hurricane season winds down, the federal agency responsible for helping victims of the storms is under fire on at least three fronts. From Washington, an angry Congress has demanded a full accounting of why the Federal Emergency Management Agency mishandled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Mississippi's 2nd District U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson last week asked the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security to investigate the contracts FEMA has awarded in the aftermath of Katrina. FEMA awarded more than 80 percent of its contracts without competitive bids, and Mississippi companies want to know why their offers weren't considered.

"Panelists to discuss coverage of Hurricane Katrina"

"Panelists to discuss coverage of Hurricane Katrina"

"Rebuilding Mississippi" - Sun-Herald

In Renewal on the Horizon, The Sun Herald covers how community leaders are coming together to rebuild 11 areas severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The story reports on the Mississippi Renewal Forum. The meeting is part of the Governor's Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal.

"In what's being called the largest community planning effort ever undertaken by new urbanists, 100 architects, planners, transportation and building-code specialists from 50 design firms are converging on South Mississippi this week for the Mississippi Renewal Forum...

'The decisions that are made now will decide what the Coast will look like in 10 years, 20 years, and beyond," said Gov. Haley Barbour. "We hope to provide local communities good ideas and resources to seize this opportunity to do this right.'"

"Gulf Coast Students Back to School" - Clarion-Ledger

Students at University of Southern Mississippi are back at it, now that parts of a local hospital have been converted to classrooms. The Clarion Ledger reported on the shortened semester. Note: short stories about different students appear each time the home page is visited.

Gulf papers seek ads to stay afloat

Gulf papers seek ads to stay afloat

A story from the Washington Times describing some of the efforts (involving two of the listed contributors to this blog and the Mississippi Press Association) to funnel federal advertising money to smaller papers in Mississippi.

Sun Herald editor looking for missing reader/advisor: "Virginia, are you there?"

The Biloxi Sun Herald's Stan Tiner: "One of my favorite and most faithful readers is a woman known to me only as 'Virginia.' . . . There is an air of mystery about Virginia as she has never told me her last name. I know that she is widowed and has a daughter. She is highly intelligent, a close reader of the newspaper, and a person of strong opinions on many matters. Outside of my family, she is also just about my biggest fan, thus a highly valued member of my informal board of reader-advisors. In that role she usually gives me at least one assignment weekly. I have not heard from Virginia since the passage of Katrina, and with each passing day my concerns about her grow. There could be many explanations for this, I know, but I would feel better hearing from her, or someone who knows her, and learning if she is well. So, from one editor to one reader, Virginia, give me a call. I miss you."

Poll on Brown's performance

The Daily Leader in Brookhaven had a poll on its website asking readers whether former FEMA Director was judged too harshly. The question: "Did Brown shoulder an unfair measure of blame for the government response?" The answer: Yes - 22.4%. No - 77.6%. (Results as of Oct. 3).

Children caught in the middle

This story about evacuees and their children appeared in the The Clarksdale Press Register on Oct. 3. It highlights the challenges children face adapting to a new school environment and the parents' hard decision whether to relocate.

Local coverage of casino

The Daily Leader in Brookhaven covered gaming legislation following Hurricane Katrina. The Senate still has to weigh in on a law that could determine how close casinos can be built to the shore.

"Covering Hurricanes: Trials, Trauma, Triumphs"

"Covering Hurricanes: Trials, Trauma, Triumphs"

This seminar produced by the Poynter Institute and the Dart Center for Journaliasm and Trauma may be of interest to Mississippi reporters who covered and are covering Katrina and the aftermath.

Images of Hancock County in the aftermath

The Sea Coast Echo offers a look at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in its photo gallery of images from Hancock County.

Couple stays behind to help international students

The Sea Coast Echo published this article about a couple that braved Hurricane Katrina to stay with international students at St. Stanislaus College. The story is the first in a series of articles containing first-hand accounts from Katrina survivors. Below is a portion of the story:

" Although Mick and Adrienne Quinlan of Waveland may have preferred to evacuate before Katrina hit the Coast, as residency program supervisors at St. Stanislaus College, they were duty-bound to stay behind with the international boarding students who weren’t able to return to their homes ...

Although St. Stanislaus is built like a fortress and was built to Hurricane Camille standards, most of the school’s boarding students were evacuated by 5 p.m. on the Friday before the storm as a safety precaution. Still, 46 students - mostly from South America, Mexico and Korea, were unable to get back home and were forced to stay at the school along with the Quinlans and a handful of other faculty and staff."

"Life will be less sweet without Emma"

"Life will be less sweet without Emma"

The story of what it will be like in Biloxi and Pass Christian without Emma Anita SEALS, who died in her home during Katrina, with her animals. Giving credit to the Herald Sun's coverage of her passing, here is the story as told on National Public Radio this morning.